On Succoth, a joyous seven-day autumn harvest festival (a kind of Jewish Thanksgiving), stuffed foods—most notably holishkes, but also kreplach, stuffed peppers, and strudels—are served to symbolize abundance. Stuffed cabbage has been a staple of Jewish cooking since the fourteenth century, when it was introduced in Russia by Tartars. There are an infinity of recipes for it, both Eastern European and Middle Eastern; ours, in a sweet-and-sour sauce, is of Polish derivation.

Note: When you're confronted with a bin of cabbages, you'll notice that some are quite light, whereas others have the heft of bowling balls. Choose the lightest ones for stuffing; their leaves peel off much more easily.

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3/4

This is a good recipe for the sweet version of stuffed cabbage, but I prefer the spicier, tarter version which omits raisins and replaces some of the more "confectionery" spices like cinnamon and citrus peel with paprika and a touch of red pepper. Also, I cook mine in a large Dutch oven on the stove, which makes it easier to monitor and more energy efficient. The nice thing about all stuffed cabbage recipes is that they can be tweaked ad infinitum and still turn out good! Great tip on choosing the right cabbage, BTW - thanks!

mginsd
from San Diego
/ 12.03.2016

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add a pinch of smoked paprika for a change and a handful of yellow raisins

JamieDNYC
from New York, NY
/ 11.09.2014

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These were very good with just a couple
of adjustments. The meat mixture made
enough for at least eight large rolls,
with a little left over. Seven rolls and
I wouldn't have been able to close the
sides of the rolls. I left out the white
sugar as I was sure it would make the
dish too sweet. The cooking liquid is
very soupy at the end, but I'm not a fan
of cornstarch, so I covered the cabbage
rolls and kept them warm in the oven
while I reduced the liquid for 30
minutes. Excellent!

A Cook
/ 03.31.2013

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I used this recipe as a guide and tweaked to my preference. Also I "made" tomato sauce out of various boxed tomato soup flavors offered at the store and that worked perfectly for the flavor profile I was going for. All the core flavors are here for your experimentation - Adjust (or not) and Enjoy!

Brenda12360
from Dallas Texas
/ 09.21.2012

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I fondly remember my Grandmother's stuffed cabbage but never had the smarts to ask her for her recipe. After looking at about a dozen recipes, this one seemed the closest to what I remember. I did make some changes:
I used 3/4 cup brown sugar and left out the white sugar entirely. I also left out the cinnamon.
I added 1/2 cup raisins to the stuffing and 3/4 cup of raisins to the sauce. And to push the sour flavor up, I added the juice of 4 lemons and used cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. Next time I think I may use ground lamb instead of ground beef.

etalerman1
from The Berkshires
/ 08.05.2012

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I found this recipe
way to sweet, and I
even reduced the
amount of sugar in
half. We could only
eat the rolls which
were ok, but nothing
special.

marjori
from honolulu
/ 06.03.2012

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This was a great dish, absolutely not what I had expected, as the sweet flavor was much more present in this than any other stuffed cabbage I have had. But it was great, no alterations needed.

nicolerawlinson
from Ballston Spa, NY
/ 04.27.2012

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This was delicious and not the least bit weird, as other reviewers have said. Based on prior reviews and my own preferences, I did make a few changes: 1 lb ground turkey + 1/2 lb ground pork (NOT KOSHER!)for less fat and more flavor; brown rice for white (cooked for 30 min); no white sugar; zested the citrus, removed the pith and then chopped into small pieces; because it was available, used Savoy cabbage for the rolls and regular for the sauce.

joycemck
from San Francisco
/ 01.17.2012

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Without the orange peel, it was excellent. Seemed like a lot of work but it made plenty of food. Tastes better the next day.

aylissa
/ 06.01.2011

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Maybe this is one of those type foods you had to grow up with to enjoy. Had a large organic cabbage from my FarmBox program and didnt know what to do with it. Tried this recipe and it was blah. The only flavor was the sweet and sour from the vinegar and sugar. Everything else was just bland.